;
Proper clothing allows the face to dominate the portrait, with all other elements being secondary. This is usually what you want in a formal portrait. Against a medium or dark background, colors that photograph best for the yearbook portrait and other close up poses are medium to dark tones of green, brown, rust, wine, or blue. Darker shades are more slimming.
Good grooming is always the number one way to assure you look your best. For men, if you are going for the freshly shaven look, then it is best to be...freshly shaven. If you have a beard, mustache, longer hair, then it should be well maintained.
Looking Your Very Best.
First, are you scheduled for an Informal or Formal portrait session....or for both? The backgrounds and lighting are generally different for formal portraits, than for informal sessions. And so is your clothing, hairstyle, makeup, etc.
Informal (or casual) portraits are more about you in the daily context of your lifestyle and environment. Informal portraits invite (allow for) a more relaxed selection of clothing styles than formal portrait settings. You also have more choices for hair style and makeup. So, choose your favorite outfits, dress, prom/formal wear, shorts, jeans, sports attire, etc. Pick the colors and clothing you really enjoy wearing. Cheerleading or sports uniforms are great for casual portraits. If you have a hobby, then bring it along.
Musical instruments and band uniforms, art supplies, theatrical outfits, skateboards, softball, basketball, tennis rackets, golf clubs, girlfriends, boyfriends, and best friends are all great additions to your portrait session. Do you have a stuffed animal or some other item with special meaning to you? Bring it! Think creatively and you will have a fun portrait session and great portraits to enjoy for a lifetime. If you are scheduled for an outdoor session, be sure to bring casual clothing that will fit in with the outdoor surroundings. Warm tones, "earth tones" are a great choice. Simplicity is your friend in outdoor sessions.
Do you have favorite outdoor hobbies? Bring some of your gear and we will incorporate it into your session! Love your car, motorcycle, hang glider? We'll work with you to include your favorite things into your session.
However, for formal portraits, where the face is the main subject, avoid bright colors and strong patterns or geometric designs/shapes. These will overpower your face and instead your face becomes secondary to your outfit. This defeats the objective of getting that very special "perfect" image of you at your best. Also, makeup and hair style is usually different and more important in formal portraits. If you have elected to have a formal studio portrait that includes our makeup artist and hairstylist, be sure that you bring any cosmetics and hair accessories that you will need.
For high school and college seniors; Don't forget your cap and gown! And if you want a more classic "white-on-white" portrait, be sure to bring a white or very pale pastel outfit. We will work with you to provide a high-key portrait where you will look great! If you are looking for a black and white portrait, solid black clothing is a good choice to enhance a truly dramatic look, even when captured in color! Minor skin problems are no problem. The finished portraits you order can be fully retouched to remove minor blemishes and also soften any harsh lines.
Glasses (Note: We do not suggest that you remove the lenses from your glasses before coming to your portrait session...if you are driving or need glasses to see how to get to the studio!) However, problems with glasses can lead to extra retouching charges. We can remove or avoid most of the glare on glasses, but tinted lenses cannot be lightened with basic retouching. Also, if your glasses are tinted or exceptionally thick, they can distort the way the camera sees and photographs the eye. In this case you should ask your optometrist to lend you a pair of empty frames to wear at your portrait session. If you have questions regarding your glasses, or extra retouching charges on glasses, please contact us.
Braces can be removed with artwork at an extra charge. However, some dentists are willing to remove braces for your session if you take the time to schedule the procedure.
Returned to Top]
Proper clothing allows the face to dominate the portrait, with all other elements being secondary. This is usually what you want in a formal portrait. Against a medium or dark background, colors that photograph best for the yearbook portrait and other close up poses are medium to dark tones of green, brown, rust, wine, or blue. Darker shades are more slimming.Really bright colors, like orange, red, hot pink, purple, etc. have the potential to ruin a portrait because of the brightness, or intensity that forces the face to become secondary to the colors themselves.
Generally, avoid stripes, plaids, checks, and other bold prints, as these also draw the eye away from the primary subject of the portrait ...you.
[Bare shoulders or tops with "spaghetti straps" often make a person look heavier and draw the eye away from the face.
Tan lines. Removing tan or sunburn lines will incur additional retouching charges. Avoid trying out a new hairstyle just for your portrait session. It is best to have your hair cut at least a week before your session is scheduled to allow for any correction and adjustments if needed. Hair that is recently cut can sometimes be difficult to work with, for you and for the photographer.
Remember that it is a lot easier to add hair spray than it is to remove it. We often find that it is better to apply makeup and hair spray after arriving for your portrait session. We can schedule additional time for you to prep, after discussing the kinds of images that will be capture during your session.
Appropriate facial makeup can dramatically affect the way your portrait looks. Both fresh, natural makeup, and "evening" makeup photograph well.
Call if you have questions. Also, if you have not decided yet, consider upgrading to our finest portrait collection sessions that include both a hair stylist and makeup specialist as part of our services to you. These very special portrait sessions require 15-30 days advance purchase to allow us to schedule appropriate time and team members to give you a very special and enjoyable "pampered model" experience.
Infants, Babies, Toddlers, and Small Children usually are wonderful subjects for portrait artists to work with. However, they do require attention to a few details. For infants, some of the most tender and beautiful portraits are of the baby when undressed, sleeping or being held by the mom or dad.
For children still in diapers, it is important to have a couple of extra diapers and outfits available for changing from bare skinned portraits to clothed portraits. Sometimes it may be possible to capture more, or better images by switching back into, or out of their outfits when they wake up or go to sleep.
Small babies also tend to slobber and spit up more than older folks, so be sure to have plenty of wet wipes handy.
Bring their favorite blanket, toys, rattles, pillows, etc...and of course...the normal food they eat. A hungry baby is an unhappy baby, and an unhappy baby does not photography as nicely as a happy baby!
Be sure to discuss both the "normal" feeding and sleeping times when scheduling the session. A sleeping baby often makes for great portraits, but a grumpy sleepy baby does not, so we always attempt to work with you to scheule for an optimum time for your session.
Nine times out of ten, it seems that when moms come to a portrait session with the children, and do not prepare to be photographed with them, they say that they wish they had dressed so that they too could have been included in context with their children. We ALWAYS suggest that both moms and dads who bring their babys to be photographed, are also dressed to be photographed.
Good grooming is always the number one way to assure you look your best. For men, if you are going for the freshly shaven look, then it is best to be...freshly shaven. If you have a beard, mustache, longer hair, then it should be well maintained.Just as with ladies and children, what you wear is going to make a difference, and depending upon what you want in your portrait, you should dress accordingly. If you are one of a group of people being photographed, then wearing the same, or complementary colors is important to tie the group together and not cause distracting patterns.